


Without an expression, I hide behind you

by hahahaharlequin



Series: Hit the Playback — Song fics [6]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Winter Cup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 14:34:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17830397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hahahaharlequin/pseuds/hahahaharlequin
Summary: Step by step, did you notice me?I have nowhere to hide— Shadowby F(x)~Or, in which the team thought a ghost has been tailing Kuroko since the Winter Cup.





	Without an expression, I hide behind you

**Author's Note:**

> I have feelings, okay, just not time management skills.
> 
> Sorry for the awkward pacing of the story though, and the weird spacing. I finished typing this on Google Docs, and I wasn't able to fix the spacing.

It's been a while since the Winter Cup, and the Seirin High basketball team has been in some sort of daze, even in class.   
  
Of course, they had been received and welcomed warmly by their school with high praises and congratulations of all forms: from simple greetings to small gifts or treats they would receive from girls, which delighted the (still) single members.  
  
  
Kuroko, for the most part, had managed to blend in with the crowd, even after making such an amazing play on national television. Their coach, Aida Riko would just sigh when the smallest player on their team would disappear from her view.  
  
Kagami, who was assumed as Kuroko's caretaker since they were classmates and close friends, and had this light-and-shadow thing going on for them, often times lose sight of his partner in crime too.  
  
The coach let them have an off early from practice, so the other freshmen and the sophomores hang around for a bit to discuss dinner plans. Kuroko, as always, had long been gone since the announcement.  
  
  
Kagami too, excused himself from the festivities, as he had to pick groceries up before heading home.   
  
As he exits the school gates and rounds the corner, in the dimly lit side of the wall, he spots light blue hair.  
  
He was just about to berate his friend, when he feels something sinister hanging in the air around Kuroko.   
  
  
Squinting, his eyes see a shadow of a man slightly taller than Kuroko, looming over him.   
  
Said bluenette had his passive look on his face, as if oblivious to the fact that he had a ghost hanging off his back.  
  
Confusedly, Kagami turns away and makes a run for it, and crosses the street just a beat before the lights turn to red.  
  
  
The most confusing part about the encounter was Kuroko's lack of reaction.  
  
Sure, he's been in much more pressing matters firsthand, but surely he'll be able to at least notice the presence of his own kind, right?  
  
  


* * *

 

  
"And then, I ran!" Kagami finishes retelling the team of his experience, like they were at a sleepover, and not in the middle of dribbling practice.  
The coach and the captain simultaneously hit him on the head.  
  
  
"We're in the middle of practice, Bakagami!"  
"Then why didn't you help him, you dumbass!"   
Came the exclamations of the two.  
  
  
Kagami doubles over and falls flat on his face. "But Coach! What if the entity follows _me_ home? I live _alone_." Kagami says, even in his gruff voice, he sure was able to make himself sound like a child wary of his closet at night.  
Kuroko was running late for practice, which was odd, since usually he and Kagami usually went together after classes.   
Said friend had excused himself to make a call, and hasn't returned since then.  
  
  
"Kagami, you're a six-foot tall high schooler." The captain says through gritted teeth. "Small dogs frighten you, and now ghosts too?" Hyuuga Junpei sighs exasperatedly. Their current team roster sure were a bunch of interesting characters. Even without Kiyoshi there, the team was still a lively bunch.  
"And where's Kuroko now, you say?" He asks again, now that Kagami had gotten over himself and got back up on his feet.  
  
  
"He said he was gonna make a call, uh, senpai. But it's been almost half an hour now since then," Kagami says, mindful of his words, looking sheepish for such a striking man of his size.   
Coach Riko runs a hand through her hair, unsure if she wanted to deal with Kuroko's rather eerie new friend, or continue with practice and wait for him so they can interrogate him upon his return.  
"Let's just continue with practice, in the meantime," she finally says. "He'll turn up eventually." And the shrill scream of her pink whistle echoes throughout the gym.

  
"Sorry I'm late, Coach." Came the flat toned-greeting from her right.  
She shrieks, along with a handful others who were in close proximity to her.  
They turn, and see Kuroko standing in front of them in his shirt and jersey shorts. His face, which was usually void of emotions, was flushed with a soft blush.  
  
  
Must be from running..?  
  
  
"I had to call a friend earlier," he explains, as he fixes his hair that's been disheveled from Captain Hyuuga's grip on his head just seconds ago, recovering from the shock of seeing him just after mentioning him.

“Did you have to perform a séance to call your fr—” Koganei's question had been cut off when Izuki and Hyuuga simultaneously elbow him in the gut. Mitobe adds his two cents by hitting Koga kn the topside of his head.

“We were worried, Kuroko. We were just about to send Kagami to look for you,” the kind smile on Tsuchida's face greets Kuroko.

 

“I apologise for worrying you all. It won't happen again,” Kuroko bows in front of the team to show his sincerity.

“At least tell us beforehand instead of just wandering off like that,” Coach Riko tells him with a wave of her hand dismissively. “Let's just get back into practice now that everyone's here.”

 

Practice that day ends just about like as any other day had been. The team agree on having dinner at Maji Burger. The team grabs two booths for themselves, while they leave Kagami to a separate table where his mountain of cheeseburgers sit pile high in front of him.

Across him is Kuroko, loudly slurping his vanilla milkshake, as he smiles at his phone, texting away.

  


* * *

 

“A _ghost?!”_ Momoi Satsuki exclaims above the loud chatter in the food court.

“Not too loud!” Aida Riko tells her. She was sitting across her, with their shopping bags between them.

They kept in touch since after the semifinals. The two of them, including select few others around Tokyo, have come together and created a group chat where they share training regimens and tips to keep the Generation of Miracles at bay.

 

Recently, their topic focuses on Kagami's supernatural encounter, and Kuroko's possibility of being possessed by an entity that could have been the ghost of a basketball player who had met bitter ends from his past games at the gymnasium.

 

“At first too, I couldn't believe it. But given how Kuroko just practically phases to and from places, it could be a possibility,” Riko says.

“Don't be like that about Tetsu-kun, Riko-san.” Momoi pouts, glaring at the coach in front of her.

They share a look before laughing together, then. Silence falls upon them, and was only broken when a tray is slammed on the tabletop in front of them. They look up, and it's Kise Ryota, back from the pretzel stand.

 

“Man! The line is _ridiculously_ long back there! Good thing the manager was a fan, and let me skip the line and she even gave me freebies! Lookie!” Kise slides into the chair across their bags.

“Thank you, Kicchan!” Momoi says, as she grabs for a cream cheese filled pretzel stick.

 

“You girls are mean!” Kise cries, pouting at the two who were enjoying the snacks. “You only asked for me _specifically_ because you knew I could get you discounts and free stuff,” he adds, reaching for his own cup of iced tea.

“It's not like that, Kicchan!” Momoi says, but her expression says anything but. “Our feet hurt from walking around, you know?” She adds, taking her second pretzel stick from the pile.

“I actually didn't think you'd get freebies, too, Kise-kun,” Riko says, an innocent smile playing on her lips, as she gets a blueberry jam and cream cheese filled pretzel stick for herself.

 

“So, really, senpai. Why did you ask to meet with us today? Anything _exciting_ happen with the team?” Kise asks the coach, facing her in his seat.

“We were just talking about it, actually,” Momoi tells him. “How a vengeful spirit might be following Tetsu-kun around.”

“A _what?”_ It was Kise's turn to shriek above the chatter. The fear in his eyes was evident. “That's so scary!”

 

“Well, I don't really believe in the supernatural, but knowing Kuroko, and having seen how much of a monster Akashi on court is, I think maybe, there's a chance that entities like that can possibly exist.” Riko explains.

“An entity that's chosen Kurokocchi as its host,” Kise says in a grave tone. His voice was heavy and filled with dread, for his friend.

“My poor Tetsu-kun!” Momoi sighs.

 

“Even Bakagami's creeped out, but we can't keep track of Kuroko without him.” Riko pauses to think. “Ah, but now that I think about it, this is the first time I've seen Kuroko-kun text a lot.”

“Eh? That's a first!” Even Momoi, who keeps tabs on literally almost _everyone_ is surprised.

 

“Huh?! Kurokocchi doesn't even reply, nor _open_ my mails! Since middle school! Now I find out he's been attached to his phone?” Kise moans onto the table. “He's such a meanie!” He adds as an afterthought.

“But Kicchan, what's there to read in your mails? They're like, 80% emojis!” Momoi tells him in a teasing tone.

“So mean!” Kise says, then all three of them laugh at Kise's demise.

 

A tune that could have come from an anime interrupts their discussion. “Ah, it's Midorimacchi! I wonder what he needs,” Kise says, pulling out his phone. He checks the screen briefly before unlocking the screen.

 

**_“Come out. Now.”_ **

 

 _“What?”_ Kise stares at his phone another minute before looking towards the girls. “Midorimacchi wants us to go out? _”_

“Well, what are we still doing here? It could be important.”

“Or, Dai-chan and Kagamin have gotten into trouble!”

  


* * *

 

The two girls and the model walk out the mall after finishing their pretzels and drinks. They bring their own bags with them, and head to the nearby basketball court around the area, where they left Touou's and Seirin's aces there to cool off.

And so they wouldn't have to be subjected to listening to those two dumbasses argue all the time. Their ongoing rivalry had always been the topic of their group chat.

Usually, it's just Momoi and Riko gossipping about their aces.

 

“I wonder what those knuckleheads are up to now,” Riko moans as they round the corner.

“I hope they didn't break a hoop, or anything else!”

Kise just laughs. “Knowing those two, it could be _anything_.”

 

They arrive at the court, and find Midorima standing in the back with Akashi who had a devious smirk on his face.

On the court, they see Kagami and Aomine hounding an unfamiliar figure. They were yelling their heads off, and seem to be standing in the same corner at the moment.

Squinting, they also spot a tuft of light blue hair poking somewhere in between the fighting.

 

They approach the two Miracles, “Midorimacchi, Akashicchi, what's going on with those two?” Kise approaches them first.

Riko was still too wary of approaching the two, what with the aura they both have around them. Just the two of them alone with looks that could kill was enough to scare off any unnecessary passers-by.

“What are those two doing now, is that why you called us out?” Riko makes a sudden stop, and bumps into someone.

 

“Ah, sorry about tha— ack! Kuroko?!”

His hair was a mess, probably from escaping the scuffle. His cheeks had a tinge of red, and he was panting, as if he too, had gotten in on the action.

“Hello.” Came his greeting.

 

“Tetsu-kun!”

“Kurokocchi!”

The other two friends have dropped their shopping bags and practically jumped on Kuroko to coddle him.

 

“Momoi-san. Kise-kun. Midorima-kun and Akashi-kun. And Coach, hello. What are you doing here?” He greets them all from where he was tackled to the floor.

“Kise-kun, please get off. You're heavy,” he tells him with a grunt.

“We were shopping and hanging out. What about you, Kuroko?” Riko answers for their group, as Kuroko manages to crawl out from under Kise.

 

“I was on a date.” He says simply.

 

* * *

 

“A _date?!”_ Was the collective yell of the three. Midorima and Akashi just watch them, in delight from Akashi's end.

“Yes. I was in the middle of a date when Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun saw us.”

“Us?”

 

“My date and I, Mayuzumi-senpai.” Kuroko says, pointing back at the two aces, who were most definitely ganging up on another person somewhere in the middle of the scuffle.

“Mayuzumi, as in, the Shadow from Rakuzan? Is that why Akashi is here too?” Riko is just as confused as Momoi was.

Kise was a whole new thing— he was too shocked to even say anything.

 

“Oh my, no. I was meeting up with Midorima today, we just simply came across Kuroko,” was Akashi's reply, but the sly grin on his face says something else.

“We've finally found something that can ultimately shut Kise up. Though I hadn't expected this turn of events, I _am_ glad that I came for this. I guess my lucky item worked miracles,” Midorima says, gesturing at the fishing pole in his arms.

Kise, though, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange since Kuroko's surprise, suddenly tenses up, and makes a mad run towards the fight. He too, joins in with the scuffle, pushing off Kagami and Aomine.

 

“Ah, I think we should stop them. Mayuzumi-senpai and I have a movie to catch,” Kuroko says. Riko could hear the slight tinge of pleading in his voice.

“I guess you're right, Kuroko. Let us go and break them apart. Momoi, Aida-san, we'll need your help pulling away Aomine and Kagami Taiga-kun. Midorima, you can get Kise.”

Akashi looks around and sees Kuroko's blank stare. “And you can get your _boyfriend_ and run before the three breaks away from us and comes after you both.”

 

“Okay. Let's go.”

 

* * *

 

Riko couldn't make a single thing about what just happened before her eyes. She had just pulled Kagami out of the dogpile by the back of his shirt.

As did Momoi with Aomine, and Midorima with Kise, but the other two has half-dragged their prisoners up to their feet, whereas Kagami was able to rouse from his drunken stupor from the scuffle, with a single hit on the head.

“Coach, what the hell!“ was his first words as he gets back from whatever Zone he and Aomine were in just moments ago.

 

“I should be the one saying that, Bakagami! What on earth were you two doing, attacking random people on the streets?”

“The guy was all over Tetsu! And Bakagami said he thought this guy was the ghost hanging around him,” came Aomine's reply in his usual, lazy tone.

“He's the ghost, too?!” Kise yells, just as Midorima lets go of him, and lets him fall face-first onto the ground.

 

“So it seems Mayuzumi-senpai has been travelling all the way to Tokyo for… reasons other than looking into colleges and universities.” Was Akashi's observation. The amusement and mischievous glint in his eyes were so obvious now.

“Say _what_ now? I'll wring that bastard's neck!” Was Aomine enraged exclamation, but shuts up when Momoi hits him on the shoulder.

“Don't be rude, Dai-chan! You and Kagamin and Kicchan should apologize to him and Tetsu-kun, and— they're gone?”

 

As if they weren't used to it already, Momoi looks around for Kuroko, but the massive crowd makes it hard to even spot a small, light blue-haired high schooler.

“Yeah, that fake shadow had better run when I see him again!” Aomine grumbles.

Kagami just walked over to the bench where their bags were sitting, and a ball placed below,reaches for it, grunted “Let’s settle our score first, Ahomine!” and promptly starts dribbling towards the hoop.

 

Aomine pulls himself off Momoi and runs after Kagami in breakneck speed, and starts reaching for the ball himself.

“Aaaand they're back to their old selves again.”

“They really _do_ share one brain cell,” Riko says with a shake of her head. “It's ridiculous how they've gotten so far in life when all they ever think about is basketball.”

 

“Kise, are you alright? You seem too shaken up from Kuroko's revelation from earlier,” Akashi turns towards the blonde who was now sitting on the floor.

“I just—”

“Oh, Kicchan, it's okay. We're here for you—”

 

“I just can't believe Kurokocchi never told me he had a boyfriend! Don't best friends tell each other stuff first?” Kise pouts, even crossing his arms in front of his chest like a petulant child.

“Ah, well, Kise-kun for the record, Kuroko never mentioned anything, either. Nor did he tell Kagami anything about it!” Riko tries chastising him like a mother would try to convince their child that Santa might have just misplaced his letter, that's why he didn't get what he asked for Christmas.

“Neither had I been informed of this relationship until today. Although, I did have my suspicions.”

 

“I personally don't care.” Midorima says.

“Ah, but Midorima, I heard you say you would wrangle Mayuzumi-senpai's neck yourself,” came Akashi's teasing remark.

“But I do wonder if they made it to their movie?”

  
  


* * *

  


“Man, your pals are tough!”

“I'm sorry about that, Mayuzumi-senpai. I didn't expect to bump into them today,” Kuroko tells the elder, as they line up for tickets at the movie theater.

“That's fine and all, but your ace could really pack a punch.” Mayuzumi points out, as the line moves forward bit by bit.

 

“Ah, well, Kagami-kun has been getting heavier recently. Coach even put him on a diet.” It was finally their turn at the teller when Kuroko tells him that.

“Those Miracle guys really are a weird bunch.”

“Even me?”

 

Mayuzumi looks toward his date, who was giving him a look that resembled the Seirin basketball team mascot a bit too much.

“Yep. Especially you,” he says, as he ruffles the shorter's hair playfully.

“Senpai, that hurts.” Was the only thing Kuroko says, but smiles nonetheless.

 

They enter the cinema together, hand in hand, as if they weren't just ambushed by a group of eccentric characters.

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think Coach Riko, Momoi, Kise, Akashi, and Midorima are all in one group chat.


End file.
